Schoolyard bullying a matter of difference

A study by the ACT Human Rights Commission has found looking or acting differently is the most common reason children are bullied at school.

Disability commissioner Mary Durkin and children and young people commissioner Alasdair Roy interviewed more than 150 children aged between 10 and 12 to see if having a disability made a child more likely to be bullied.

The primary school students were asked their views on topics including 'what sort of person is a bully', 'what sort of person is bullied' and 'what is a disability'.

Ms Durkin says the results were not clear cut.

"Beyond looking and acting differently children nominated race related attributes and then physical attributes and then disability. So disability could be reflected in a couple of those characteristics," she said.

When spoken with in a group, the students identified 'being overweight' and 'sexuality' as the primary reasons for bullying.

"We need to talk more with the students to find out why this is the case, however it may be because they were responding to what their friends in the group thought, or the influence of media," Ms Durkin said.

When describing a bully, students used words like 'bigger', 'stronger', 'mean looking', 'angry', 'cruel' and 'selfish'.

"They also told us that people who 'feel bad so want to make others feel bad' or who have been 'bullied themselves', may be a bully," Mr Roy said.

The report was prompted by international research which shows disabled children are bullied more frequently.

"I don't think the results of our research demonstrate that, however they do demonstrate that difference is an issue," Mr Roy said.

"What I do think we need to do is to go back to children and young people and talk to them again and unpack what they meant by looking different."

Mr Roy says the report is an excellent example of why it is important to talk with children about issues affecting them.

"Most current research on bullying and disability tends to be from an adult perspective and overlooks the views of children and young people," he said.

"If you are trying to solve a problem which impacts on kids, it makes sense to talk to kids about their ideas."

What the students had to say has been published in a summary report and a work-book designed for teachers and parents to continue the conversation about bullying with other students or their own children.